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Design Review Program
What We Do: Visual Resume
Gallery Home | Mosler Lofts | 5th and Bell | IDX Tower | Press Building | Holly Park | Boulders | 115 Warren | 159 Denny Way | Capitol Court


IDX Tower 
IDX Tower Galler of Great Examples alt 7

  • Year Built: 2002
  • Address: 925 Fourth Avenue (at Madison)
  • Designer: Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership
  • Developer: Hines
  • Design Guidelines Applied: Design Review Guidelines for Downtown Development
  • Design Review Board: Downtown
  • Zoned: DOC1-450
  • Size: 932, 709 sq ft 

Design Guidelines Met
The Downtown Design Review Board determined the following Design Review Guidelines for Downtown Development were the most important for the designers and developer to address:

IDX Tower B-1 Gallery of Great Examples New

Guideline B-1: Respond to the Neighborhood Context
The scale of the windows on the IDX Tower respects the character of the abutting historical YMCA landmark building.


IDX Tower C-3 Gallery of Great Examples New Alt

Guideline C-3: Provide Active -- Not Blank -- Facades
The design of the building facade at street level includes storefronts and bays for seating. Both encourage use by people and activate the street.

 IDX Tower C-5 Gallery of Great Examples

Guideline C-4: Reinforce Building Entries
Distinctive entry canopies and high-ceiling lobbies invite pedestrians. The transparent material is used to help the visibility into building interiors.

 

IDX Tower C-5 Gallery of Great Examples

Guideline C-5: Encourage Overheard Weather Protection
The glass canopy over the sidewalk on 3rd Avenue provides pedestrian comfort and plenty of natural light.

 

IDX Tower D-1 Gallery of Great Examples

Guideline D-1: Provide Inviting and Usable Open Space
The public seating provides comfortable seating for bus riders while waiting for the bus.

 IDX Tower D2 Gallery of Great Examples

Guideline D-2: Enhance the Building with Landscaping
The 7th floor rooftop offers a formal garden with seating and generous landscaping. It is open to the public. 

 

IDX Tower D-6 Gallery of Great Examples

Guideline D-6: Design for Personal Safety and Security
The building entry is composed of transparent materials to increase security after dark.

 

 

Last Updated: October 7, 2008

Join the Design Review Board
In April 2010, the Mayor and City Council will appoint twelve new volunteer Design Review Board members to replace those retiring members whose terms are expiring. Applications are due December 10, 2009 for two-year terms that begin April 4, 2010. A list of the upcoming openings is in the appendix of the Design Review Board application.

Upcoming Project Reviews
Each of the seven Design Review Boards meets twice a month. See the upcoming schedule. 

Archive

Search the archive to find design proposals and reports of project reviews.

Design Guidelines

Thirty design review guidelines for multifamily and commercial buildings--along with neighborhood-specific supplements--form the backbone of the City's Design Review Program in Seattle's neighborhoods. Separate guidelines govern downtown development.

Gallery of Great Examples

5th and Bell
See the 5th and Bell project and other great examples of projects that were developed through the Design Review process.

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